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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — of water
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — in music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. spring — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com